This invention relates to vibratable, monolithic refractory mixes useful to form linings for receptacles and related apparatus components used to handle or treat molten metal, such as ladles, tundishes, troughs and runners.
Vibration forming of refractory linings from vibratable monolithic refractory mixes is widely employed because it provides a facile way of providing a final desired shape which when molded has a uniform texture.
In most of the known vibratable monolithic refractory mixes which are used commercially, clay is used as the binder. Such mixes also contain a P.sub.2 O.sub.5 source, such as phosphoric acid or mono-aluminum phosphate. Unfortunately, however, such P.sub.2 O.sub.5 sources react with impurities in the clay to form precipitates which destroy the shelf life of the vibratable mix, that is to say that the mix does not remain vibratable. Shelf life for such clay binded vibratable mixes is often less than one month. The prior art has attempted to solve this problem by incorporating inhibitors or using a non-clay binder as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,069,057 and 3,834,914; however, there is a need in the art for improved non-clay containing binders for vibratable refractory mixes which do not require the addition of inhibitors.
It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide an improved non-clay containing binder suitable for use in a vibratable refractory mix to produce an improved non-clay containing vibratable refractory mix which does not require the addition of an inhibitor for good shelf life.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved non-clay containing vibratable refractory mix which gives good slump resistance when vibrated into forms.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.